Search - N.W.A. :: Straight Outta Compton

Reaching the vertex of gangsta rap - 5 stars!

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 04/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Straight Outta Compton" created a revolution in gangsta rap; influencing countless acts to follow in their footsteps. It's a common misconception to think that this was the first gangsta rap album ever. The album was originally released in 1988. Shocking narratives of ghetto street life were in full effect at this time, originally brought forth by Ice-T, and Schoolly D in 1987. But "Straight Outta Compton" is arguably the best when it comes down to history in the making. The stories held within are frightening, and riveting; thought provoking and unapologetic. Main members, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube (founder), MC Ren and Eazy-E, paint a vivid picture of L.A.'s rough and tough Compton ghetto. You really feel the empathy of the life that they live through their brutally honest delivery of pain, anger and the need to be heard. The lyrical content provides powerful images of poverty, guns, violence, police, bi***es and the overall mindset of living in the ghetto.



The record sounds insanely fresh and perfect; which is quite a feat, since production value in hip-hop has come a long way since 1988. The beats sound funky, innovative and most importantly, they serve as a winning template for their engrossing lyrical flows. Although you wouldn't know it by the tones in their voices, their is a fair amount of comic relief to balance out the record. A lot of these same things can be said about other classic gangsta rap albums, but this one clearly broke the mold, reaching kids in the middle of suburbia. There is a large amount of shock value involved, especially for pre-teen white kids. If only on tape or CD, this album was the introduction of these frightening concepts to many of these kids. From beginning to end, these guys show you just where they come from, right down to the philosophy of every day life. There would be several wannabe MCs to follow, but none of them possessed a fraction of the skill held by the likes of Ice-T or N.W.A. In fact, this record runs a lot like the early hardcore rap style of Public Enemy (without their message). Ice Cube left the group in late 1989 to pursue his solo career. Dr. Dre left the group in 1992, after their last album "Niggaz4life", to pursue his soon to be legendary solo career, and record label, Death Row Records.



If you listen to rap music, you were in some way influenced by this album. "Straight Outta Compton" may be their seminal work from the late 1980s; but the presence of N.W.A. was captured throughout the 90s; since Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, and The D.O.C. all had successful solo careers, based on of the success of this stunning masterpiece. Comparatively, they're a lot like the Beatles, as far as rap music is concerned. "Straight Outta Compton" is a raw, beautifully crafted, unprecedented masterpiece. Parental Discretion Iz Advised."

Rap's "Appetite for Destruction"

Daniel Maltzman | Arlington, MA, USA | 03/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm reviewing "Straight Outta Compton" (1988) from a different perspective than most reviewers. While I like some rap and can certainly appreciate the gene, I'm not a huge rap fan. I'm a rocker, first and foremost, and this review is aimed specifically for people who aren't all that much into rap.



N.W.A's debut "Straight Outta Compton" can be seen as the rap counterpart to Guns N' Roses debut "Appetite for Destruction" (1987). Released within a year of each other; both albums showcase tales of inner-city debauchery, drug and alcohol excess, with a sense of nothing to loose. Both albums feel very real, very lived in, and remain powerful sentiments of what it's like to grow up and live in abject poverty, through the eyes of society's misfits.



Because the rap genre has become so saturated and mainstream, it's hard to imagine the impact "Straight Outta Compton" had upon its release and discovery. Little suburban white kids all across America heard first-hand accounts of life in the inner-city streets of the United States. I remember listening to this album back in the early 90s and remember what an impact it had on me. It dispelled a lot of myths by telling my totally ignorant brain what life is really like for oppressed minorities in the forgotten ghettos of what I had always been told was a great country, fair to everyone, regardless of race, color or creed (hey, I grew up in Reagan/Bush middle-America!) While rap sometimes seems to glamorize "thug-life" or wind-up as self-parody (a problem that would later besiege the post-Ice Cube N.W.A) this is never a problem with "Straight Outta Compton."



Honesty can get you only so far, however, without the skills. The reason "Straight Outta Compton" is as great as it is, is because of the enormous talent involved. Featuring a very young Ice Cube, Eazy E, MC Ren, Yella, and Dr Dre, N.W.A. was a supergroup of Rap/Hip-Hop's greatest talent before any of them had become known. Poetic lyrics flowing with ease; the songs, sometimes humorous, sometimes ugly, tell the listener the grim realities of urban poverty. Even at a very young age, it is apparent that all five were first rate producers, rappers, and lyricists, as each song possesses an infectious groove and a catchy beat. "Straight Outta Compton," the opening track, can be seen as Rap's "Welcome to the Jungle," while "F.ck the Police" sticks it to the man like no other. "Gangsta Gangsta," probably the album's most memorable song, is lyrically one of Ice Cube's most authentically bad-ass moments. Elsewhere on the album, Dre's "Express Yourself" is probably the album's catchiest (and most radio-friendly) song, while Eazy-E's "Eight Ball" remains a rap classic. The rest of the album, while not quite as memorable, is still first rate.



Going on twenty years as of this writing; "Straight Outta Compton" sounds as fresh and relevant today as it did upon its release. Even if rap isn't your thing, this album is well worth owning as it offers the best of the genre. If you buy only one rap album in your life "Straight Outta Compton" is the one to get.

"

The Birth Of Gangsta Rap

Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 11/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"N.W.A.'s 1988 release Straight Outta Compton is the blueprint for the gangsta rap genre that exploded in the early 90's. It was also radically different in tone than anything in hip-hop at the time. Hip-Hop was mostly party records until Public Enemy came along and starting making a change by making political statements. N.W.A. music was about life on the streets in South Central Los Angeles. Their songs where tales of the gangsta lifestyle which included selling drugs, racist policemen, degrading woman and most of all violence. The streets of Compton were and are a dangerous place and songs like the title track, "Gangsta Gangsta", "Dopeman" and "F-k Tha Police" are vivid descriptions of life in the hood. The group was also notable for not just their violent lyrics, but for their immense skills. Ice Cube wrote most of the album and it contains some of his best work, Dr. Dre laid down the beats which would lead him towards the being one of the top producers in hip hop. Eazy-E set up his ruthless gangsta image that he would play out the rest of his life and MC Ren shows why he is one of the more underrated MC's in hip hop. Straight Outta Compton is a true landmark album that many have tried to imitate, but no one has been able to duplicate."